All-Star bound Shane Smith may have his workload limited by White Sox
Advertisement
'If they give me the ball, I'm definitely going to throw. No matter what,' Smith said of pitching in the Midsummer Classic.
With the loss to the Guardians, the White Sox (31-63) have dropped four of their last five games.
Venable described the second-half plan for Smith as 'start by start.'
'We have to find ways to be creative,' he said. 'We have to find ways to do the right thing. No. 1 priority is going to be to put us in the best spot to win the game. Second to that is obviously putting Shane in the best position to navigate the season. We'll reevaluate every turn in the rotation.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Guardians' writer discusses wild scenario: Could Cleveland face Shane Bieber in October?
Guardians' writer discusses wild scenario: Could Cleveland face Shane Bieber in October? originally appeared on The Sporting News October baseball is all about drama. So, with the playoffs fewer than two months away, why not start fantasizing about the possibilities? Paul Hoynes of is doing just that, as he details a potential postseason matchup between the Guardians and their former ace, Shane Bieber, in his latest piece. Of course, a lot would still need to happen. 'First, Bieber would have to prove he's recovered from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow to join the Blue Jays' starting rotation,' Hoynes wrote. 'He has not pitched in a big league game since April of 2024.' Then, the Blue Jays and Guardians would have to make the postseason. Toronto has a 4.5-game lead in the AL East with a 69-50 record, but Cleveland's playoff chances aren't nearly as great. The Guardians sit 6.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central and are 1.0 game out of the Wild Card. FanGraphs gives them a 26.9% chance to make the postseason, while the Blue Jays are basically a lock at 98.0%. Bieber was traded to Toronto on July 31 for prospect Khal Stephen—a right hander that currently holds a 2.06 ERA in the minors this season and just made his Double-A debut. Cleveland's former ace is a two-time All-Star and the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner. He has a career 3.22 ERA over 136 games (134 starts) and has been working his way through the minor leagues this season with the hope of making it to the Majors later this year. Bieber holds a 2.45 ERA across four different levels in the minors, and he most recently moved up to Triple-A Buffalo, where he's started two games. If Bieber returns, and Cleveland surges into the playoffs, this matchup would be must-see TV with the season on the line.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Guardians' Gold Glove OF Called 'Perfect Fit' As Giants Trade Target
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The San Francisco Giants are clinging to postseason hope, and once again, they're a step or two behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. While the Giants have made big moves over the last few months, they need to continue to turn the heat up in the offseason or else the Dodgers and Padres will continue to run the National League West. Nick San Miguel of Around the Foghorn recently suggested the Giants could swing xa trade for Cleveland Guardians Gold Glove outfielder Steven Kwan in the offseason after whiffing at the trade deadline. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 9: C.J. Kayfus #63 of the Cleveland Guardians high fives teammate Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians after hitting a home run in the sixth inning of the game against... CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 9: C.J. Kayfus #63 of the Cleveland Guardians high fives teammate Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians after hitting a home run in the sixth inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on August 9, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. More"The SF Giants were sellers at the trade deadline, but if they were buyers, they would have been a perfect fit for both starting pitcher Joe Ryan and outfielder Steven Kwan," San Miguel wrote. "They can still make a run at both players in the offseason. "Kwan has been great for Cleveland as well. He is slashing .281/.342/.394 with nine home runs and 39 runs batted in. The Los Gatos native has won three straight Gold Gloves and would be a perfect upgrade over Mike Yastrzemski, who was recently traded to the Royals, in right field. The two players would fill pressing needs on the team and just so happen to be Bay Area natives. It sounds almost too good to be true." Kwan would be the perfect outfield option for the Giants to pursue if the Guardians are still looking to shop him in the offseason. It seems a bit unlikely that he's traded because the Guardians have a few years of team control left and they're firmly in the American League postseason race. Still, if Kwan ends up on the trade block again, the Giants have the prospect capital to go get a deal done. Adding Kwan to the top of the lineup would make San Francisco a World Series contender without a doubt. More MLB: Yankees' Gerrit Cole Provides Encouraging 5-Word Injury Update
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Lenyn Sosa Quietly Leads A Step Forward For White Sox Hitters
Progress is almost always incremental, not instantaneous. That's why the White Sox are feeling good about the work of Ryan Fuller, their organizational director of hitting, and the investment that ownership and General Manager Chris Getz made in infrastructure after the 121-loss season in 2024. The White Sox were last in almost every offensive category last season and weren't a lot better in the first half of this season. But since the All-Star Game they've been one of the most productive lineups in baseball, largely thanks to improvements from holdover players like Lenyn Sosa, Miguel Vargas and Brooks Baldwin. Oh, Luis Robert Jr., too. Getz moved quickly to hire the 34-year-old Fuller when the Orioles made him a scapegoat for their disappointing '24 season, firing him from his position as co-hitting coach. He also agreed to acquire a state-of-the-art Trajekt pitching robot, which accurately simulate pitches from specific big-leaguers, and let Fuller identify other tools for the development of hitters. Fuller joined the Orioles in 2019 as a minor-league hitting coach and was promoted to hitting coordinator in '21. He was given significant credit for the development of Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Connor Norby, among others in Baltimore's wave of young hitters. But his value goes beyond the guys at the top of the lineup. 'I really pride myself on helping create a team that's dynamic,' Fuller told James Fegan of Sox Machine. 'Whatever challenges are presented that night, we are going to have the skills to match up accordingly. Whatever is called for, we are going to be trained to execute.' Reports from spring training showed an impressive jump in bat speed from some veteran hitters, including Sosa (+3.6 mph), Baldwin (+2.7) and Vargas. None of them have maintained that increase throughout the season — some believe the Statcast cameras weren't completely accurate at Rate Field last season — but all three of them have started hitting. Sosa, who was given a $350,000 bonus to sign out of Venezuela in 2016, is a 25-year-old infielder who reached the big leagues in 2022 and entered this season with a .229 batting average and .604 OPS in 163 games. This year he's hitting .277 with a .749 OPS while making an argument he can be an everyday second baseman, not just a utility man. Working with Fuller and big-league hitting coaches Marcus Thames and Joel McKeithan, Sosa has given himself for a chance at a 20-homer season (he has 14). He's increased his hard-hit rate to 43.9 and his average exit velocity to 90.8 mph. He could reach arbitration as a Super 2 player after this season and figures to be rewarded for the improvement. Vargas, like Sosa, has been raking since the All-Star break. The 25-year-old middle infielder acquired from the Dodgers last season is starting to get closer to the results that had been projected off his 35 homers and .923 OPS over 214 games in Triple-A. Robert and rookie shortstop-third baseman Colson Montgomery arguably have been the two brightest signs in recent weeks. Getz held onto Robert at the trade deadline rather than resign himself to diminished value, and Robert is looking like his old self, hitting .333 with 3 homers and 9 stolen bases in 19 games since the All-Star break. Montgomery, who has been a special project for Fuller, made his big-league debut on July 4. He's hitting .241 with 10 homers, 26 RBIs and an .876 OPS in 32 games.. It's hard to believe but the White Sox are leading the majors with 41 home runs since the All-Star break, one more than the Phillies, led by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. They are third in runs (121), fifth in batting average (.262) and fifth in slugging (.470). They're likely to experience some regression before the season ends but that won't diminish the progress they're showing. This stretch will speak loudly to management and especially the players when the White Sox begin looking forward to next season. Fans would love to see the White Sox ownership group spend more heavily to build a competitive roster. But this is a much improved team from a year ago, with players getting better as games fly off the schedule. First-year manager Will Venable and his coaches are doing good work.
